Chase · Cash back · Mastercard

Chase Freedom Flex: what it's really worth

The Chase Freedom Flex has a no annual fee. For a typical household spending $2,070 a month, it's worth about $620 in year one and $420 each year after.

Annual fee$0

Sign-up bonus$200$200 after $500 in 3 mo

Net value · year 1$620

Net value · each year after$420

Calculate it with your own spending

Is the annual fee worth it?

No annual fee — nothing to lose by keeping it open, which also helps your credit history.

How you earn

Category	Rate	Value per $1	Per year*
Dining	3%	3.0¢	$108
Groceries	1%	1.0¢	$60
Hotels	1%	1.0¢	$10
Flights	1%	1.0¢	$12
Gas	1%	1.0¢	$18
Streaming	1%	1.0¢	$5
Everything else	1%	1.0¢	$108

*At typical monthly spending: dining $300, groceries $500, hotels $80, flights $100, gas $150, streaming $40, everything else $900. 5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 a quarter, activation required) — counted as a realistic ≈$100/yr. 3% on dining and drugstores; 5% on Chase Travel.

Credits and perks

$240 rotating 5% categories — Extra 4% on up to $1,500 a quarter in categories you activate (e.g. dining, groceries, gas, Amazon). We count about $100 a year, since most people don't use every dollar.
Cell phone protection
Foreign transaction fee: 3%

Who it's for

People happy to activate 5% categories each quarter
Pairing with a Sapphire card for more value
Not ideal: Anyone who wants zero effort — use Freedom Unlimited
Not ideal: Use abroad (3% foreign fee)

Can I get it?

Recommended credit: Good
Chase rules: 5/24: usually denied if you've opened 5+ personal cards (any bank) in the last 24 months. The bonus may be unavailable if you've had this card before.
Mastercard: Accepted almost everywhere — but not at Costco warehouses (Visa only).

Check the current offer at Chase

Updated Oct 30, 2026.